Monthly R.E.P.O.R.T - June 2025
Things that stayed with me from the month of June in terms of readings, music, tv, food and miscellaneous things
Welcome to my first month of curated recommendations.
I was doing this weekly but something I’m trying to adopt with my substance is consistency and sustainable consistency so switching this to monthly made more sense.
Monthly, this is where I collate the books that shifted my perspective, substack post that got my group chat spiraling, the meals that surprised me, the shows that kept me thinking long after the credits rolled, and the music that became the soundtrack to my routine. These aren't comprehensive reviews, but rather the things that stuck, the ones worth passing along.
Think of this as a me, your internet friend telling you about their month over coffee, highlighting what's worth your attention in a world overflowing with options.
Here's what caught my attention:
Reading:
Taste Is the New Intelligence (substack): Stepfanie basically unpacks the way in which curators and taste makers are becoming more important than ever as we are all flooded with endless content on social media or streamings platforms. This also really resonated with me because I sometimes feel that my substack and general online presence is a constant curation of non cohesiveness sometimes but in the post she says “Coherence doesn’t mean sameness. It means alignment. Good taste isn’t restrictive. It’s expansive. It allows you to contain multitudes without becoming incongruent.”
The Intimacy of “How Did You Know That” (substack): To be loved is to be seen and as I was reading this my entire understand of what it means to be ‘seen’ immediately widened. Feeling seen isn’t always the grand gestures but its in the little moments. In the past month for me it has looked like my friends using the song of an artist i recommended to her in her content because she too has fallen in love with the music. It’s been my brother cooking and leaving ‘just a bit’ for me even though I said I didn’t want anything. It’s been my dog lying by my feet when I was having a hard time with work. There’s something very intimate about being top of mind when you least expect it.
Nigeria's One Big Beautiful Bill? (substack): This came in right at the end of the month and made me feel so seen. I’m sadly not optimistic about this new tax bill. The road to hell is paved with good intentions and no time is that ever consistently true than in Nigeria. I've very curious to see whether this actually increases tax per person or if cooperates will end up carrying the brunt of this all.
The Lion’s Den by Iris Mwanza (Book): This is a legal thriller set in 90s Zambia which follows a newbie lawyer Grace Zulu as she takes on the case of Bessy Mulenga, a young person arrested for gender identity "offences against nature". He’s thrown in jail then then mysteriously disappears from custody and then where the book kicks off. This is my first time reading much about Zambia in fiction so that was my initial draw but I stay for the compassionate way Iris writes about very real issues that continue to plague not just this country but across africa, sexual discrimination, police brutality, elite abuse of power to name a few. It’s not a long read but it’s a thought provoking read.
Romantic Comedy by Curtis Sittenfeld (Book): A friend recommended this to me as a joke but I ended up really loving it. The main character is Sally Milz, a sketch writer for a late-night comedy show(basically imagine this is SNL) who has sworn off love, finds herself unexpectedly attracted to Noah Brewster, pop star who is guest hosting the show. As they collaborate on sketches together they begin to fall for each other. The book explores the complex dynamics of romance in your 30s and gender expectations in modern dating.
Eating
Rita’s Dining - London (Restaurant): Rita’s is quickly becoming my fave restaurant in london. Its american diner food meets european twist. Its good for everything, a date, a group out with friends, drinks before you head out. Its a very cosy vibe as well. If you go you have to order the scallops (get there just when they open to not miss this), the cornbread, the steak special usually at the board and get a desert to share.
M&S Swiss Caramel & Milk Chocolate Crispy Clouds (Snack): These are so addictive. I think Melissa’s Wardrobe posted these once and since then I’ve been on it! It liked crunch chocolate back in the day you’ll like these.
A Lot of Fresh Fruity Salads: I got a book on making veggie bowls and each week I just pick two things to make and plan my food shopping around it. At the moment I’m really liking betreet, apples, pomegranate, leafy greens, broccoli and a feta combo.
Playing
I made two playlists of songs I’ve had on repeat over the last month. The first one is:
Jazz/ Jass Adjacent playlist. Lagos has been giving sad rainy cloudy forks from twilight weather so I just put this on and it feels like a sunny day.
Second is my Summer Playlist which is a mix of afrobeats (which oddly I’ve been enjoying), alternative music, and soft rock. You and save both playlists and who knows some of these might make it unto your own curated playlist.
Obsessing
The Bear - Season 4
I need to do a full on review of this season but all I’ll say is at this point this is the best show on TV right now. It’s the perfect blend of character interior vs plot driven show that is rare to get right. My favourite episodes were ‘The Bears’ (cried my eyes out at the end) and Worms (the one Ayo Ediri co wrote). Even though four seasons in now I should expect the season finale to always wreck me, I stille end feeling jarred! I love the way Ayo and Ebon just carry this show. They have to win all the awards coming up. I’m avoiding any spoilers here so I’ll leave it at that. Don’t read the reviews just go and watch it yourself.
Recommending
Glossier Balm-Dot Lip Balm: If you a lip balm that actually works try these. I usually get very dry lips when I’m travelling or abroad and this was basically vaseline but 100% better. A lot of the lip balms I use and love are glossy which can be annoying sometimes but this isn’t. It just looks like your lips but better.
Mama Dora Fermented Strawberry Soda: This has become my tiny hyperfixation drink in lagos. They stock it at Gather House in Ikoyi. If you like fermented drinks in general you’ll enjoy this. Best served with ice.
Pat Mcgrath Glass Skin Setting Spray: I bought this after watching one add at like 1am and I have been loving it since! If you have dry skin like me and preper a more glowy finish than matte then you’ll like this. Apparently if you spray it up to 10 times you’ll get a very glass like finish. My maximum so far has been 6. I don’t have the patience to sit and wait for it to dry 10 times.
Thinking
It wouldn’t be me if I don’t talk about Nigeria but I’ve been thinking about how we’ve allowed so many mentally ill people lead this country.
If you’ve been living under a rock or avoid Nigeria news for your sake, basically Wike has been a public nuisance (to say the least), from him 3-4 hour long monthly press briefings where he barely lets the reporters ask him questions to his latest stint in June where almost everyday he’d bought out the front page of major newspapers, all I can think is I pity the day Tinubu will no longer be in his good books. I look forward to watching that beef play out and it’s not a matter of if, but when.
PSA: I now have paid subscription turned on. If you’d like to support my substack and give more input in the stuff I write about you can now subscribe monthly or annually.
Let me know in the comments which of these recommendation you’ll be taking or general thoughts.